Remnants of War: Sara Smits in Syracuse University Magazine

Source:Syracuse University Magazine on our good friend Sara Smitts

	Remnants of War
		Sara Smits (left), at a beach in Vietnam with Phuong, an amputee and Clear Path International outreach worker who was a gold medalist in the Asian Paralympics

Ty, a 23-year-old man, shows off his disfigured hand, the result of ccidentally hitting a cluster bomblet while hoeing in a field.

Roped-off munitions

Billboard warning people to stay clear of munitions they find

A Clear Path International vehicle en route to a de-mining site in Quang Tri Province

Display of Vietnam War bombs, outside the office of the Mines Advisory Group, Dong Ha Town

In a crowded hospital in Dong Ha, Vietnam, a 5-year-old boy is among the latest victims of a war that ended more than 30 years ago. A phosphorus mine he innocently picked up and placed in his pocket burns a hole through his thigh. Once exposed to air, the chemical burns until it is completely consumed. Sociology doctoral student Sara Smits G’02 saw the tragedy unfold at the hospital and heard the boy’s story, as well as the stories of many other victims in the Quang Tri Province who have been maimed and scarred by weapons left over from the Vietnam War. In her dissertation, Smits seeks to tell their stories and raise awareness about the ongoing suffering. “I’m examining the boundary between the end of war and the war that still continues for people in that area,” she says. “I want to show there are social consequences of war beyond combat casualties and environmental concerns.”

Her research into the effects of landmines and other unexploded ordnances (UXOs), such as cluster bombs and grenades, stems from her interest in social movements and war and peace. In 1997, Smits, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a master’s degree in sociology from the Maxwell School, attended a conference about UXOs in Washington, D.C. During that same time, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) won the Nobel Peace Prize, and Princess Diana adopted the cause. Since Princess Diana’s death, the issue’s prominence decreased, Smits says. “I wanted to revive awareness that this is still a problem and people are still working on these issues.” 

UXOs are in more than 80 countries and cause more than 15,000 casualties a year, according to ICBL. “In Quang Tri Province, you can guarantee that every day or every other day someone is a victim of these munitions,” Smits says. Situated along the demilitarized zone during the war, the province sustained the heaviest bombing, and, consequently, has the most unexploded devices. To gather personal stories of victims and see what is being done to combat the problem, Smits ventured to Vietnam for several weeks in 2005 through a Goekjian Summer Research Grant (see related story), and in March with funding assistance from the sociology department. She worked with Clear Path International (www.cpi.org), a Vermont-based nonprofit organization that assists UXO victims with medical costs and programs to sustain them for the future. Smits visited hospitals with Clear Path workers and saw victims who suffered such injuries as loss of limbs and shrapnel wounds. She encountered the 5-year-old burn victim on one of her final visits. “He’ll be able to walk again,” Smits says. “But seeing his pain and the difficult conditions of the hospital, where there are three to four people to a bed, was one of the harder parts of being there.”

After receiving approval from the local Vietnamese government, Smits made home visits to interview UXO victims about their lives before and after their accidents. Ty, a 23-year-old man, told her of the injuries he sustained at age 16 when a metal object he tapped while hoeing exploded. He has shrapnel in his eye, scarring on his face, and a disfigured hand. He spoke of the difficulties of participating in activities with friends and his low expectations for getting married. However, assistance from Clear Path enabled him to get trained in repairing motorbikes, ensuring opportunities for his future. Smits also met a woman named Phuong, who lost a leg, but achieved her dream of having a child and won gold medals in the Asian Paralympics. “The most important thing that stood out to me is that they are moving on,” says Smits, who is also impressed by the support victims receive from family and community members. “This is what they have been given, and they are trying their best to persevere.”

Smits is also researching other groups working on the issue, including ones raising awareness to stop the use of landmines. “I’m trying to understand the social movement with its number of different networks,” says Smits, who spent time watching the Mines Advisory Group, a British organization, clear mines. She also met many U.S. veterans revisiting Vietnam. “I’d like to do some research with veterans and examine their connection to Vietnam,” she says.

Reflecting on her international experiences reinvigorates Smits as she works on her dissertation. “The best way to learn is to live among the people and create connections,” she says. “I’m fueled by the memories and knowing there are people who are struggling with the issues surrounding landmines.” She finds purpose in her research and does speaking engagements to raise funds for Clear Path. “They do amazing work,” Smits says. “I want to somehow give back to the people who gave me so much information and so much inspiration.” 

—Kathleen Haley